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Pork Belly Bao (Gua Bao)

Erin Aronowitz
Fluffy Steamed Dough folded around Crispy Pork Belly, Pickled Cucumbers, Fresh Herbs, and Hoisin Sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine Chinese

Equipment

  • Parchment Paper
  • Steamer Basket
  • Fry Pan
  • Rolling Pin

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Can Buttermilk Biscuit Dough
  • 1 Pack Fully Cooked Pork Belly I bought mine at Trader Joe's
  • Pickled Cucumbers Made ahead of time(instructions below)
  • Shredded Carrots
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Hoisin Sauce
  • Chinese 5 Spice Seasoning

Pickled Cucumbers

  • 2 Cucumbers Sliced thin
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup or sugar or honey
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sriracha
  • 5 Green Onions

Instructions
 

  • Pickle some Cucumbers. I did a fast version of this by slicing up some cucumbers, and adding it to a bowl with a cup of water, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (you can use sugar or honey), 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sriracha, and 5 diced green onions. I let that sit in the fridge for one hour, but it is even better when it sits over night. These are great on any sandwich!
  • Crisp up the Pork Belly. I buy my fully cooked pork belly at Trader Joe's, then I sprinkled it with Chinese 5 Spice powder. Then, I browned all sides in a frying pan over medium heat. I wanted the outside to be crispy so I kept flipping it on all sides until i achieved that. You aren't looking to cook it through, since it is already cooked. You just want to make the outside nice and crispy. Once this is done, set it aside
  • Roll out your biscuit dough into an oblong shape, like the photos above. Then, fold it in half. Add a piece of parchment paper in between the halves so that they do not stick together. Steam the biscuits in a bamboo steamer or steamer basket.
  • While the biscuits are steaming, slice the pork belly into 1 centimeter thick slices
  • Once the biscuits are steamed, open them up. Layer in the cucumbers, sliced pork belly, pieces of fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, and 2 teaspoons of hoison sauce. You can use as much sauce as you want, so start with 2 teaspoons and then judge. Fold it over and enjoy!
Keyword Bao, biscuit, pork, pork belly